To:
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Rt Hon David Gauke MP

Don’t push babies and toddlers into poverty and homelessness

Do not apply the current benefit cap to single parents with children under two years old.

Why is this important?

On the 22nd of June 2017 the High Court found the governments benefit cap to be illegal. That's because we took them to court to say that as four women in single parent families the cap will have severe and disproportionate impact on us.

The Judge agreed, ruling the cap illegal and saying “Most lone parents with children under two are not the sort of households the cap was intended to cover... Real misery is being caused to no good purpose."

We were being pushed further and further into poverty due to the benefit cap, which was making our lives unmanageable and unaffordable. Two of us fled from domestic abuse, to find that we were financially penalised by the Government’s benefit cap for doing so.

We’ve started this petition because, we know that we are not alone in this struggle. We have been shocked to learn through our involvement in this Court case that tens of thousands of children under two years old have been affected by the cap. Single parents have real difficulties finding work they can combine with caring for children single-handedly. As a result, they can’t easily escape the cap.

We hope the public will support this petition and join us in calling on the Government to provide the financial security that one parent families affected by this cap need.

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Reasons for signing

Because it keeps women from having the foothold needed to progess

emina m.
2017-11-27 14:00:33 +0000

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I am a single mother of 5 children while pregnant with my 5th child I got placed in the benefit cap. I have to pay 90% of my rent and council tax and now just given birth to be told I won't be getting any more money for my 5th baby. I'm here struggling week to week to feed n clothe my kids as well as pay rent n council tax I'm on my knees begging for help n where ever I turn get hit by a brick wall 😢

Ellie H.
2017-10-13 13:51:35 +0100

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Please stop penalising women and children, start congratulating and supporting these brave survivors, much more money is needed to help correct the inequalities in this country.